"You were in the market to buy a book…then what is this?" she asked.
"A hairpin."
"Why is it on the desk?"
"I don't know," he replied, taking off his coat. "Perhaps one of the servants found it."
"Found it where?"
"I don't keep track of the servants' discoveries, Alina."
Her fingers tightened around the pin.
"This is the same hairpin I noticed in the market today."
"It's not some exclusive hairpin," he replied. "There are a ton of hairpins like this. You're reading too much into it."
"And you're terrible at lying," she replied. "How can a servant find this in your room? It isn't mine, and as far as I know, no other woman is allowed here, not even Audrey."
"Ask these questions to the servant who cleaned the room," he said. "Stop pestering me."
He sat at the desk and started reading a letter, indicating the conversation was over. But his eyes were fixed on one spot because he was pretending to read.
